Because I Promised
by xxxTheUnknownOnexxx
Summary: 'I promised you, Ichigo. I promised I'd always protect you... I never meant for this to happen, I'm so sorry.' We can all act a little crazy when it comes to the one we love, but occasionally our actions can push people over the edge, then what happens? Post-Finale Fic, Rated T.
1. Prologue: Choices And Decisions

**Choices And Decisions **

**Author's Note(Please read first):** Okay, those of you reading my other Tokyo Mew Mew fanfic 'Star Stories'(a series of short stories, drabbles, one-shots, ect about the aliens and their race)will already know that I had plans to write this an entire fic spanning from chapter fourteen, and here it is.

The reason I decided to upload this as a separate fic is that I felt that if I put the chapters in 'Star Stories,' it would be difficult for people to read, find and understand without having to re-read the previous chapters. Plus, I usually keep the 'Star Stories' chapters fairly short and, this way, I can put more detail and description in.

If you read 'Star Stories, you will probably have already read this opening chapter. If you aren't familiar with 'Star Stories', it isn't completely necessary that you have read it first, though there may be some references to chapters from it, I'll explain them in Author's Notes.

This fic is post-finale and the aliens have returned to Earth.

_Warning: This fanfic contains angst, strong language and violence in later chapters, if you are sensitive to any of these things, I do not advise you to read this story._

_I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew and I never will..._

* * *

><p><em>Bound at every limb by my shackles and fears,<em>

_Sealed with lies through so many tears..._

_Lost from within, persuing the end,_

_I fight for the chance to be lied to again..!_

_~Lies, Evanescence._

* * *

><p><em>'A man can't be too careful in the choice of his enemies'- Oscar Wilde.<em>

Aoyama Masaya continued to restlessly pace around his bedroom, too worried to sleep or rest. His mind continued to sway back to the events that had taken place over the past few weeks; he had arrived home from England, overjoyed to see his girlfriend and her friends again. He had missed the strange little cafe that doubled as the Tokyo Mew Mew headquarters and intended to surprise them all there.

What he hadn't expected was to see three other familiar faces. Faces he never thought he would see again. The Ikisatashi brothers smirked at him as he tried, in vain, to hide his shock. Ichigo and the Mews were at complete ease with their presence, even Ryou included them when he inquired whether anyone wanted a drink. Masaya watched in shock as Kishu put his arm around Ichigo and whispered some vulgar comment in her ear. To his utter horror, she just rolled her eyes and shrugged him off. The others didn't even look up from whatever they were doing, as if it were nothing they weren't used to. Exactly how long had the aliens _been_ here? Ichigo didn't even scold him, shoot him a look, she didn't even remind him that she had a boyfriend...

For the rest of the day, Masaya had stood back, observing them all. The banter between them and the brothers was completely natural, almost as if they were...not quite friends, but close acquaintances, at least. It was as though the previous battles had never happened. Speaking of battles, Masaya learned that Kishu and Ichigo had been fighting side-by-side, which was just bizarre to him. According to Ryou, they worked well with each other, they were good fighting partners.

Masaya felt a burning hatred whenever he thought back to it. He wasn't jealous...Okay, maybe he was a little jealous, but that wasn't the real reason he couldn't relax. No, the real reason was that he did _not_ trust the Ikisatashis, not one bit. They were _enemies!_ Former enemies, true, but still, how could the Mews just _forgive _them like that? Especially Kishu, the psychotic bastard had tried to take Ichigo several times, sometimes even trying to take her life!

Masaya wondered for a moment whether the aliens had tried some sort of blackmailing method and that was why the Mews were allowing them to get so close. But, he dismissed this thought, it was plausible, but the relaxed atmosphere suggested otherwise. He then wondered if the aliens were capable of mind control. It was a long-shot, he was part alien himself and he was sure he couldn't do that even if he _was_ capable of some psychic abilities...

Masaya growled, rubbing his temples. He concluded that the brothers were just trying to gain the Mew Mews' trust, that _had_ to be it. There had to be _some_ kind of evil intention in their actions. A small voice in the back of his head informed him that the brothers were not evil and that they had no real reasons to attack the Mews now, especially since they had been able to restore their planet with the Mews' help. The voice also informed him of the fact that they had just been following orders from Deep Blue before and Deep Blue was, of course..?

Masaya shook his head, silencing the voice. He just couldn't do it, he couldn't trust them. Maybe that was it; maybe their intentions were to wreak revenge on Masaya by hurting the Mews. After all, he realized with a jolt, _he_ had been the reason for Kishu's death. He wasn't too certain, but he had a feeling the other two had died too. He wouldn't blame them for being angry if this was the case, but he would never let them hurt the Mews. He was Ichigo's protector, and he would _always_ keep her safe.

Masaya had an epiphany there and then. He now knew what to do. At the time, it seemed so right, so obvious, it would solve all of his problems without his friends getting hurt. Maybe he wasn't thinking too clearly, but the decision felt so _right_...

Smiling to himself as he made the decision, Masaya walked almost robotically to the computer on his desk. He typed a few words into the search bar, it was all he needed to get the number he needed.

After he had it, he stood and walked over to the phone on his night stand. He began to reach for it but then stopped half way. Would this really solve everything? On the other hand, he couldn't let Ichigo get hurt. The memory of her face as Kishu made to kidnap her was the final push Masaya needed. With new found determination, he punched the numbers down and waited.

One ring, two rings, three ring-

'Hello? How may I help you?'

He cleared his throat, which had become tight and dry;

'H-Hello, my name is Aoyama Masaya. I have some information for you. I would like to report the whereabouts of three extra-terrestrial life-forms here in Tokyo. I know it sounds weird, but please, hear me out, I can tell you _exactly_ where to find them. I'm scared they might hurt someone...'

Masaya swallowed down the lump in his throat as he pasted over the information, right down to where they would be hidden. He knew about the abandoned house they used now they were staying on Earth, he knew about the cloaking device used to conceal their ship. He told them everything he knew, only leaving out details about the Mews.

'One more thing; when you find them, watch out, they have abilities beyond humanity.'

'Thank you, sir, we...will investigate your claims.'

'Thank you,' he said as he hung up. The person had sounded skeptical, but that would fade when they found them.

Masaya didn't even care that he had left his name, let them find out it was he who brought their downfall, he didn't care...

...As far as he was concerned, they were the government's problem now...

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Okay, quick explanation for those unfamiliar; the Ikisatashi brothers are Kishu, Pai and Taruto(though you probably figured that out already), it _is_ their confirmed last name and they _are_ confirmed as brothers. They returned to Earth in chapter twenty-one of 'Star Stories(though, know that the chapters are presented like memories and are therefore _not_ in an order).

The next chapter will be less vague and will explain more, I promise. Oh, and though the main pairing right now is Aoyama/Ichigo, there will be some other pairing hints later on.

Please drop a review, but constructive criticism only, please!


	2. What We Call an Average Day

**What We Call an Average Day...**

**Author's Note:** First chapter! And the focus shifts to that of the Cafe Mew Mew employees and their friends...

_Warning: This fanfic contains angst, strong language and violence in later chapters, if you are sensitive to any of these things, I do not advise you to read this story._

_I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew and I never will..._

* * *

><p><em>They...say,<em>

_Don't...trust;_

_You..._

_Me..._

_We..._

_Us..._

_So we'll..._

_Fall,_

_If we..._

_Must..._

_'Cause it's you,_

_Me, and it's all about..._

_It's all about..._

_~All About Us, Tatu._

* * *

><p>'Oh, sorry to keep you waiting, sir, here's your drink! Oh, what was that, ma'am? You're ready to order? Ah, okay, I just need to find my pen-Yes, just a second, please! Oh, nya...'<p>

Kishu watched in mild fascination and amusement from the kitchen doorway as the frantic cat-girl continued to rush back and forth, attending to impatient customers. Behind her, he could see Lettuce and Pudding doing the same, though Pudding seemed to be doing a better job handling it than the two elder girls were. He could also see Zakuro, working at her own pace, seemingly oblivious to the customers' impatience. Minto was sat at her own table, engrossed in her cell phone by the look of it.

Kishu snickered and drew back when Ichigo turned and saw him watching. She shot him a look of irritation before plastering the large smile back on her face. Kishu turned, leaning against the wall with his arms folded and his trademark smirk on his own face, knowing there was nothing she could do or say to him.

'Y'know, one of these days, she's just gonna turn round and slap you...' Kishu raised his head towards the younger Cyniclon sat on the counter. Taruto had his head tilted up towards the ceiling and was leaning back with his head against the wall and his eyes closed. Cyniclons, especially young ones, were not well adapted to the heat on Earth during the Summertime, they were better adapted to the freezing temperatures. It was evident that Taruto wasn't coping well with the Earth Summer, he looked exhausted and his usually pale cheeks were flushed red.

'Heh, whatever keeps the stressed kitty's fur from falling out..' he replied, his tone suddenly becoming mock-innocent, 'but why is she mad at me? It's not like_ I _can help, she told me to stay out of the restaurant area. And, after all, we don't want the little humans to see an alien and get scared now, do we?'

It was true that the others had decided it was best the Ikisatashis stayed out of human sight during opening hours, they may have been humanoid, but they weren't human and it was best not to raise suspicion. For one thing, they had been filmed fighting with the mysterious Tokyo Mew Mews and using strange unknown powers, they could be recognized. Kishu knew-and took advantage of-that fact, much to the annoyance of Ichigo.

'And he wonders _why _she doesn't love him...' Taruto muttered to himself, half-opening his eyes and rolling them.

'My, someone's irritable today,' Kishu said with exaggeration, prodding the boy's shoulder with his finger nail.

'Can you blame me? It's too freaking hot! And quit poking me!' He snapped, jerking his shoulder back.

Now it was Kishu's turn to roll his eyes, 'you're no good to anyone when you're tired...'

'Ikisatashi-sans, if you could just come out of the way, please?' Keiichiro cut in before the brothers could get into yet another fight, attempting to pass them whilst carrying some kind of cake.

'Huh? Oh, yeah, sure.' Kishu muttered, shifting about an inch to the side. Keiichiro, too polite to do anything other than sigh, exited the kitchen to help deal with the mass amounts of customers filling up the cafe. Kishu only wondered for a moment how Keiichiro knew their last name when they hadn't even told him it yet...

'I really don't see the point in this place doubling as a cafe, kinda defeats the purpose of _secret_ headquarters...' Taruto mused, swinging his legs.

'Heh, I know, right? The cafe's packed, surely someone'll notice something sooner or later.'

'So, I'm stuck in here for nothing? I may as well just go out and scream I'm an alien!'

'If you're complaining so much, you can always leave, you know...' Pai's voice sounded out before he actually materialized in front of his brothers.

'He's just cranky 'cause he's overheated.' Kishu replied without turning round.

'Shut up! I am _not_ cranky, I just didn't get enough sleep last night...'

'Ohh...then maybe we should reinstate a bedtime for you, then.'

'Oh, go to Hell!'

* * *

><p>Ichigo couldn't have been happier when the rush finally ended and the cafe was emptied. Now all she and the other Mews had left to do was to clean the tables and finish sweeping.<p>

She began humming to herself as she pushed Kishu off the table she was supposed to be cleaning for the third time.

'Ichigo Onee-Chan is in a better mood than she was this morning...' Pudding stated, tilting her head to the side.

'Well, I'm glad the rush is over.'

'And..?' Minto pressed, sensing she had more to say.

'And, I'm meeting Masaya after work...' She finished with a smile.

'Ahh...'

Needless to say, the shift in Kishu's mood was almost tangible, even though he said nothing. The others exchanged nervous glances, Kishu's emotions could be so temperamental sometimes, after all. Nonetheless, he managed to hold his tongue, but Ichigo still noticed the change in the air;

'Come on, I thought the whole point of the truce we formed was to put all of the past events behind us, _he_ managed to, after all.'

Kishu just grunted in response, while the others rolled their eyes at him.

'And to think, for a moment there, he was almost mature...' Pai muttered to Taruto, folding his arms.

'Hey, I'm just saying, half the crap we _all_ had to deal with was his fault!' Kishu shouted, causing the others to suck in a sharp breath.

'No, it was Deep Blue's fault and we agreed on that...'

'They're the same freaking person!'

'Whatever, I'm not gonna argue with you. Say what _you _want about Masaya, at least he doesn't hold grudges.'

'Pfft! Of course, God forbid Mr Perfect should ever experience anything as uncivilized as the need for revenge..!'

'Oh, stop being such a child, Kishu.'

* * *

><p><em>They don't know...<em>

_They don't see..._

_Who we are..._

_Fear is the enemy..._

_Hold on tight, hold..._

_Onto me..._

_'Cause tonight..._

_It's all about us!_

_~All About Us, Tatu._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Kinda boring, I know, but things will start to pick up in the next chapter, I just didn't want to bring Aoyama back into it just yet. Other pairings will be brought into it soon, as well.

Please drop a review but constructive criticism only, please!


	3. Mental Call

**Mental Call...**

**Author's Note:** Hi, everyone! Thank you all for reading and reviewing so far! Now, I said the fic would start moving with this chapter, so you can guess we're shifting back to Aoyama. This chapter will become a little dark and angsty though(that's not a real word, Lily -_-), but anyone who's read my other works will know I'm prone to writing angst. Strangely, I'm quite a happy person in general though...

I'd also like to stress, I am _not_ using this plot as an excuse to bash Aoyama, because I actually don't mind him as a character and I think the Ichigo/Aoyama pairing is cute. You'll see why he is acting the way he is in later chapters.

_Warning: This fanfic contains angst, strong language and violence in later chapters, if you are sensitive to any of these things, I do not advise you to read this story._

_I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew and I never will..._

* * *

><p><em>You will never be strong enough,<em>

_You will never good enough..._

_You were never conceived in love..._

_You will not rise above..._

_~Lies, Evanescence._

* * *

><p><em>'It's too hot...'<em>

_Where was he? What was this place? He could only see blurred shapes in the darkness..._

_'Please...Somebody make this all go away, I can't take it...'_

_That voice..._

_'Ichigo..!'_

_'Aoyama-san!'_

_'Aoyama Onii-Chan!'_

_The others, where were they? He had to help! What was happening? The voices echoed through his head, coming at him from different directions._

_'You!' This new voice was behind him this time and he automatically whipped his head round towards the owner of it._

_'Aoyama's gone.' The same voice, but this time in front of him and louder. He gasped, turning in all directions, trying to find someone he recognized through the darkness. He was sure the temperature was rising, the heat pressing in on him, he struggled for air, that air was stale._

_'I'm not gone! I'm right here! Ichigo! Ichigo! It's me!'_

_He squinted as the darkness began to part slightly. In the center, surrounded by swirling, dark shadows, was Ichigo in her human form. She had her head up and was looking in his direction, yet it was almost as if she was looking straight through him._

_There were tears in her eyes and she kept shaking her head in disbelief. Masaya reached out, his fingers twitching towards her, to make her believe that he was real, that the voice was just spreading lies. It proved to be in vain, however. It was as though some force was pulling Masaya back, he could feel it holding onto his arms and legs._

_'N-No...Ichigo!' He screamed as loudly as he could, until his voice rasped and broke._

_As if to taunt him, the darkness slithered further away from Ichigo to reveal another shadowy figure, a tall, thin figure. As the mystery person shifted into focus, Masaya felt his blood run cold._

_Kishu just smirked in his direction as he put an arm around Ichigo's shoulder and drew her into his embrace, 'it's okay, Ichigo, don't worry...'_

_The tears spilled over from her eyes as she fell into his chest. He placed a hand on her back, patting it, all the while keeping the smug smirk on his face. He put a hand under her chin, lifting her head up and then began leaning in..._

_'No!' All the anger and fear building inside of Masaya bubbled over as he tore at his invisible restraints in a desperate, blind rage. It did no good, in fact, he felt himself being pulled away from them, no matter how much he struggled._

_He flinched when he heard yet another voice whisper into his inner ear; _

_'It's done! You've done well, boy. Now, wake up...'_

_'Ichigo..!'_

* * *

><p>Masaya's eyes snapped open as he was jerked back into reality. He blinked several times to clear his vision and sat up only to find himself tangled in his bedsheets and drenched in sweat.<p>

Panting, he rubbed his temples and squinted against the light flooding into his bedroom through a gap in his drapes. Glancing at his alarm clock, he almost choked when he saw that it was four-thirty PM, he'd slept almost all day!

Jumping out of bed, he almost fell back down when a sensation of vertigo washed over him. Groaning and clutching his head, he noticed that for some reason his limbs were aching, he must have thrashed around a lot during his dream.

Speaking of which, what had all _that_ been about? He struggled to recollect the events that had taken place during it, but it was like grasping at smoke, slipping through his fingers. He remembered Ichigo, crying and then Kishu putting his arm around her and leaning in to-

He halted the thought before it took over. How ridiculous. He must be paranoid, since Ichigo would _never_ do that to him, he trusted her.

Of course, that just _had_ to be the _only _part he could remember out of the entire dream!

Recovering from his dizziness and mentally shaking himself, he made a beeline for the bathroom. He had a date with Ichigo scheduled and he intended to make it on time.

Stopping in front of the mirror, he took note of his features; he was exhausted, that much was obvious. His face was paler than usual, looking almost sickly. There were large purple circles under his bloodshot eyes. Thinking about it, his eyes were the strangest thing, they appeared brighter than they used to be, something that Masaya couldn't understand, shouldn't they be darker? His pupils seemed narrowed a lot of the time now, too.

He was sleep deprived, yes, but he could hide that from Ichigo. He had not slept properly for several weeks and when he did, he did not feel rested, if anything, he felt like he'd run a marathon! It started, he suspected, when the Ikisatashis returned to Earth, though he had still been in England at the time. Still, with his element, he had always been intuitive, there were some things he subconsciously just _knew, _like when Ichigo needed him, for example. Ever since the brothers returned, he had been plagued by strange dreams and nightmares that he could only partly recollect. For as long as those three were walking freely on Earth, Masaya would never rest, the realization made him shudder.

Splashing icy water on his face, Masaya pushed the thoughts to the back of his head. Soon he would no longer have to worry about them, soon everything would return to normal and then he and Ichigo could focus more on their upcoming exams, school dances and just being girlfriend and boyfriend...

Soon enough...

* * *

><p>'See you guys tomorrow!' Ichigo bid her friends goodbye as she exited the little pink cafe, now back in her casual clothes.<p>

'Bye, Ichigo!'

She began humming to herself again, kicking up small dust clouds with her shoes as she made her way to the park where she planned to meet Masaya. Since she was already early, she strode at her own pace, her hair bouncing against her shoulders. It had cooled down since this morning so the heat was no longer as stifling and there was a pleasant breeze to accompany it.

There weren't many cars about on the roads, she noticed as she crossed the street. People were most likely taking advantage of the weather and choosing to walk instead.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she made her way along the path leading to the fountain in the center of the park when she felt an uncomfortable prickling feeling on the back of her neck.

Turning and scanning the area in a battle stance, she saw nothing out of the ordinary, she could even hear people chatting away with friends around the park with her sensitive feline ears which had made themselves present.

Shaking her head(and making her ears change back to normal), she concluded she was just being paranoid and so continued to make her way towards their usual meeting point...

If only the uncomfortable prickling feeling would go away...

* * *

><p>'Mom?' Masaya called, entering the kitchen where his adopted mother sat at the table, 'I'm going to meet Ichigo, I'll be back later, alright?'<p>

'Oh? Okay, I'll see you later, have fun!'

'Thanks,' Masaya turned to leave but stopped himself, 'um, Mom? Why did you let me sleep for so long?'

His mother gave a sympathetic smile, 'well I know you haven't been sleeping too well, you're probably jet-lagged from your trip...'

'I got back weeks ago, Mom, I don't think it's jet-lag...'

'Would you like me to get you some sleeping pills if it doesn't improve?'

'Hmm, that might help, thanks, Mom.'

'It's alright, honey. Enjoy your date.'

Masaya smiled at her. He was forever grateful to her and his father for adopting him and supporting him in all of his decisions throughout his life, he would never be able to thank them enough. Still, part of him wished he had his birth parents with him too, but of course, he had no parents, he wasn't even human...

He closed his front door behind him, checking his watch. Turned out, he wouldn't have to rush too much to make the date on time.

He didn't live too far from the park so he was alright for now, but he still took out his phone to confirm with Ichigo. As he scrolled through the contacts listed, a sudden feeling of foreboding washed over him and then a sense of dread and fear. He knew that feeling all too well now...

...It meant Ichigo was in danger...

* * *

><p>Ichigo stood by the fountain, taking in the sights and sounds around her. Several birds fluttered overhead and she had to remind herself that chasing them was <em>not<em> a normal thing to do, even if she was part cat...

The birds suddenly stopping in midair, twisting their heads around before they bolted off as fast as their wings could carry them. Ichigo frowned, but then noticed that everything had gone deathly silent.

Holding her breath at the uneasy sense she was getting, she tensed, looking around her for any sign of danger.

The sound of screaming reached her ears just as something swooped around her head. Ducking to the ground with her hands covering her head, she could only gape up at the monstrous creature her eyes beheld;

It was a reptilian creature with watery-yellow eyes, scaly dragon-like wings on its back, four long legs with sharp claws on each digit, and a long, armored tail. Its mouth was open, showing all of its pointed teeth and its forked tongue. The eyes focused on Ichigo as it made to swoop at her again.

With a yelp, Ichigo managed to roll out of the way as the heavy tail smashed into the ground inches from her. She gasped, open-mouthed, unable to look away from the type of creature she thought she'd never see again.

'C-Chimera Animal?' She stuttered as it let out a screech. Running for the cover of one of the larges trees, she had only seconds to catch her breath and pull the small pendent from her pocket. Holding the metallic object tightly in her hands like a lifeline, she pressed it to her lips and uttered her battlecry;

'Mew-Mew Strawberry, Metamorphose!'

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Yup, cliffhanger, sorry. ^_^

And confusion about Aoyama's element? Well, I'm one of those people that believes all the characters with powers have one of the five elements as a power source. Some are more obvious than others(Minto=Air, Lettuce=Water, ect) and I believe it applies to the aliens, too. The fifth element is Spirit or Ku in Japanese(also known as Void, Sky or Heaven) which represents things that are beyond our everyday experience, kinda like a psychic force. If you consider Ichigo and Aoyama's powers, this kinda makes sense to me(sensing each other, Ichigo's Mew attack, the energy beams the Blue Knight can create. Plus Ichigo teleported to Aoyama when he was in danger once).

The other elements are;

Chi/Earth.

Ka/Fire.

Fu/Air/Wind.

And; Sui/Water.

Kishu's element is probably the hardest to place...

Please drop a review, but constructive criticism only, please!


	4. Questions And Suspicions

**Questions and Suspicions...**

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed so far, hope you enjoy the next chapter, sorry for taking so long.

_Warning: This fanfic contains angst, strong language and violence in later chapters, if you are sensitive to any of these things, I do not advise you to read this fic._

_I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew and I never will..._

* * *

><p><em>They'll never see...<em>

_I'll never be..._

_I struggle on and on to feed this hunger,_

_Burning deep inside of me..._

_~Lies, Evanescence._

* * *

><p>Ryou had to admit, he was somewhat glad the cafe had closed earlier today. The Summer heat didn't exactly make his employees feel like working and it meant he had some time to relax without worrying about a broken plate, cat ears popping out, lack of service...he could go on...<p>

Stretching his arms, he sat down before the glowing computer screen, his fingers lazily tapping against the keys. A sudden flash on the screen caught his attention, yet he ignored it, dismissing it as a false alarm.

Yet, when an actual alarm sounded to inform him of a Chimera in the area, he realized he couldn't just ignore it.

'What?' He muttered to himself, checking and rechecking the information being presented to him, 'how can..? Girls! Come down here, I need you!'

And there was him thinking today would just be an average, boring day...

* * *

><p>Ichigo couldn't help but find the whole situation nostalgic, after all, it had been so long since she'd fought a Chimera. Stood up to her full height, the cat-girl placed a hand on her hip and prepared to utter the typical heroic words that she felt were necessary for the situation. Unfortunately, she never got the chance as the Chimera chose that moment to strike again, causing her to dive to the ground and land in a rather painful position.<p>

'Oww..!'

She was forced to roll out of the way as the tail came crashing down, dust clouds assaulting her vision. She groaned, now in a literal blind panic, and rubbed her eyes in a desperate attempt to clear her vision. Her cat ears perked up at the sound of the Chimera's growling and then the sound of movement.

'S-Strawberry Bell!' She cried, feeling her weapon materialize in her gloved hand.

She sensed the Chimera move to the left and squinted trying to make out the blurred shapes. When her sore eyes fell on the creature, she raised her weapon and let out a shout;

'Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!'

There was a collision sound, but Ichigo couldn't be sure it was with the Chimera. She cautiously pulled herself to her feet, rubbing her eyes again.

There was nothing but silence now and she allowed herself to believe she had destroyed the beast...

...Big mistake...

The creature let out a sudden ear-splitting roar to her right and before she could even turn around, its hard tail collided with her, knocking the wind out of her and throwing her back. While she was in the air, it took a swift swipe at her with its sharp claws, cutting at her arm. She hit the ground with enough force that she'd be carrying a lot of bruises after, but she still pulled herself back onto her feet.

'R-Ribbon Strawberry...Surprise..!' The Mew leader gasped, wincing against the pain that shot through her back and now-bleeding arm.

She saw a blurry flash of bright lights and colors as her attack was shot for the second time, but this time she _saw_ the Chimera dodge the attack.

She also saw when the Chimera flew up and prepared to charge at her again.

'Ribbon Strawberry-!' She cut off with a scream, the thing was too fast. She flinched, throwing her hands in front of her face and closing her eyes as she braced herself for the impact...

...Which never came...

Cracking her eyes open, Ichigo could just about make out a fuzzy blue figure standing in front of her, holding a shining object up to the Chimera. She knew who it was straight away, she could sense it.

'M-Masaya?'

Masaya, in the form of the Blue Knight, turned his head slightly in response. He let out a shout as he blasted the Chimera back with a spark of blue energy from the tip of his sword.

Jumping up, he fired another attack and touched down beside Ichigo, meeting her gaze and noticing how red her eyes were.

'Ichigo, what happened to your eyes?'

'I-I got dust in them,' she replied, blinking hard 'I'll be fine once I clear it.'

'Your arm...'

She looked down at her injury, there were two small, jagged claw marks and blood was steadily trickling down her arm.

'It's not that bad, Masaya, I've had worse.'

Masaya went to speak again but saw the Chimera move. Lifting Ichigo up, he flew them up and out of the way of its next attack.

'Ichigo, please let me handle this one,' he begged, knowing how stubborn she could be, even when in danger. And sure enough;

'No, then you might get hurt and I won't stand by and let that happen!'

'Ichigo, please-'

'Masaya, watch out!' Ichigo screamed, her attention back on the beast, which, while Masaya had been preoccupied, had fired another attack. Masaya gasped, instinctively trying to shield Ichigo with his arms and preparing for an emergency teleportation.

'Ribbon Lettuce Rush!' The two teens only had time to comprehend the voice before a huge wave of water was shot between them and the oncoming attack.

'Ribbon Mint Echo!'

'Ribbon! Zakuro Pure!'

The creature roared in agony as the two attacks hit its underbelly and it drew back, hissing and spitting.

The other four Mew girls appeared, transformed and braced for attack and Ichigo couldn't have been happier to see them.

'Ribbon Pudding-Ring Inferno!' Pudding cried, firing the trap-attack at the perplexed creature, immobilizing it.

'Ichigo, you're up!' Minto shouted to the cat-girl, who smiled as she exchanged a look with her boyfriend, though he held a somewhat dark expression.

As soon as the two touched down on the ground, Ichigo ran forward, raising her bell and aiming it at the Chimera, which had began twitching against Pudding's trap.

'Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!'

The blinding light engulfed the creature and the girls relaxed, knowing it must have been destroyed by now, however the sound of shrieking continued to ring out even after her attack was over.

'I-It's still there?' Lettuce stammered.

The creature growled as it swung its tail at them, managing to throw them against the trees.

'Damn! This thing is stronger than we thought!' Minto exclaimed, groaning.

'It just wants to kill us, it's not trying to trap us!' Pudding cried, rubbing her arm.

They screamed and scattered when its claws came into close contact with them.

'Everybody,' Zakuro's voice caught all of their attention, 'attack together. It should be enough to bring it down. That includes you, Aoyama.'

'Right.' They all nodded, raising their weapons once more.

'Everybody, get ready...' Ichigo murmured as it began to charge.

'Okay, now!'

'Ribbon Mint Echo!'

Ribbon Lettuce Rush!'

Ribbon Pudding-Ring Inferno!'

Ribbon! Zakuro Pure!'

'Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!'

As the girls released their attacks and Masaya prepared to release his, he noticed a faint blue glow around the girls and that the light from their attacks seemed brighter, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. He released the blast of energy from his sword and watched as the creature was caught in the blinding lights.

It continued to flash until Masaya had to close his eyes against it. The deafening shrieks died down until there was nothing but silence.

The group panted as they opened their eyes and straightened up to see Masha, who Ichigo guessed had come with the other girls, swallow the glowing parasite with a happy squeak.

'Okay...What the Hell just happened? Where'd that Chimera come from?' Minto asked, waving her hands in exasperation.

Ichigo shook her head, holding her injured arm, 'I don't know. Either way, that one was stronger than the ones we're used to...'

'But, _how?_ It didn't seem like a normal Chimera...' Lettuce piped up.

'I don't know,' Ichigo repeated, 'but, I think I know three people who will...'

* * *

><p>'Now, let me get this straight, a Chimera Animal flew out of the air and attacked a park for no apparent reason?' The girls really wished Pai wouldn't say it like that, even <em>they<em> were beginning to think they sounded crazy.

'Yes! We told you! We were all there, so I don't think we could have _all_ imagined it! Hell, look at my arm, I don't think we're imagining that!' Ichigo exclaimed, throwing her hands up(and regretting it when pain shot through her arm). She didn't mean to sound so impatient, but she had already explained it twice and the three aliens' skeptical expressions weren't exactly helpful. At least she'd been given an ice pack and bandage for her injury...

'Why would there be a Chimera in that area?' Kishu asked, raising an eyebrow.

'We don't know, but _you_ know more about the subject than we do, so...'

Kishu's eyes darted up and his skeptical look faded, 'wait, you don't think that _we_-?'

'No, we know it wasn't you guys, you were with us this afternoon, plus, no offense, but it wasn't really one of _your_ typical Chimeras.'

'How do you mean?' Pai asked.

Ichigo sighed, 'ahh, I can't really explain it, this one was just...different, it wasn't how you guys used to attack, there was something different about the Chimera itself and it took all of us, plus Masaya, attacking together to destroy it.'

'Where is Mr. Perfect anyway?' Kishu asked, his mood shifting back to that of a sulking child.

'He went to tell Shirogane and Akasaka-san what happened,' Ichigo replied, resisting the urge to roll her eyes and perhaps smack him. At least he was handling it better than he used to, she'd rather deal with the sulking child than the semi-psychotic, jealous teenager...

'Do you have the parasite?' Pai's sudden question brought Ichigo back to the important subject at hand, though she was confused by his inquiry.

'Uhh, what?'

'The parasite that was used. Your robot retrieves them, yes? Then is it still carrying it?'

'Ohh! Yeah. Uhh, Masha?'

The tiny robot hovered before her face at the mention of its name.

'Masha, we need the parasite of the Chimera from earlier, okay?'

'Okay! Okay!' He repeated, floating up and expelling the glowing parasite, which Pai caught in his open palm.

The three Cyniclons spent a couple of seconds just examining it with their eyes until Minto interrupted.

'Uhh, isn't it better to use equipment for that?'

'Don't need to,' Kishu replied, without looking up.

'What do you mean?' Lettuce asked in a quiet voice.

'He means,' Pai began, looking up to meet their inquisitive faces, 'that just by sight it is obvious that this is _not_ a normal parasite. You were right, there _was_ something different about this Chimera...'

'What is it?'

'It's been heavily genetically altered.'

'W-Wha-? But, how?'

'...I don't know...'

* * *

><p>Masaya groaned as he appeared in his room, glad his half-Cyniclon DNA was useful in other ways, he'd have to answer his mother's awkward questions as to why he wasn't on the date with Ichigo otherwise.<p>

He sat down on his bed while he transformed back into his human form. Transforming to and from the Blue Knight's form was a lot more uncomfortable since the whole battle with Deep Blue, but it wasn't as bad as it had been immediately after that battle, he hadn't thought his powers would come back. Still, it wasn't exactly _pleasant._

He felt bad about lying to Ichigo, he had said he was going to inform Ryou and Keiichiro of the earlier events, but the truth was, he needed time to comprehend what _had_ just happened. A Chimera attack...he had thought he and the girls would never have their lives put at risk by one of those again. And he knew the culprits, who else could have done it? They were the only Cyniclons on Earth. Masaya may have been half-Cyniclon, but he would never do something like that, Hell, he didn't even know _how_ to!

He groaned, rubbing his temples. If this continued, the Mews may not be so lucky in the future. The Chimera had been more powerful than the ones the Ikisatashis had used before, who knew how powerful any others could be?

And the Mews wouldn't realize it until it was too late...The sickening thought of the Ikisatashis betraying their trust like this made Masaya's blood boil. How could the Mews believe that they had nothing to do with it? How else would the Chimera have known where Ichigo would be at that exact time? It shouldn't have surprised him, he had serious worries about Kishu's mental stability and his brothers didn't seem to care, though the teen _had_ shown better self control since returning, but how long before he suffered a relapse?

If the government didn't act soon, lives would be at serious risk. But how could he prove it to them? He needed evidence, proof that they were on Earth, in Japan. How, though? He lay down on his pillow, glaring up at the ceiling, the Mews would never testify against the aliens, not now anyway...He had reason to believe that Ryou and Keiichiro wouldn't either, though he had no idea how the brothers had managed to convince _them_, especially Ryou...

Wait, didn't Ryou have security footage of the aliens from when they used to be enemies? Masaya sat bolt-upright, his eyes widening. Of course, why hadn't he thought of it before? All he needed was a few seconds of footage, preferably of them using their weapons and attacks against the innocent bystanders in Tokyo, and he had all the proof he needed to get rid of them once and for all!

His stomach lurched at the thought. ''Once and for all...'' What _would _the government do once they had them? He'd seen horror movies in the past with aliens and it never ended particularly well...But, then again, _these _aliens could teleport and they weren't stupid. They would have enough sense to know that they weren't welcome on Earth and would return to their own planet, wouldn't they? Then _nobody_ had to die and nobody else had to get hurt. He still cringed over the scratch on Ichigo's arm, next time it could be so much worse...

So, it was settled then, and it meant he hadn't lied to Ichigo...

...He _was_ going to tell Ryou and Keiichiro what had happened, he'd just collect something while he was there...

* * *

><p>Taruto wasn't going to deny that he was unnerved by the thought of another Cyniclon using stronger, genetically modified Chimeras against them, but he <em>would<em> deny that it wasn't the only thing bothering him.

During the whole talk with the Mews and the analysis with the parasite, he hadn't spoken a word, just listened to what was being said, and then tried to absorb it all. Once they began wondering who was behind it, he took the opportunity to slip out of the room and head into his bedroom.

If anyone asked, he'd blame it on the heat, it wasn't a complete lie...

Slumping down on his bed, he tried to figure just _what_ was bothering him so much, surely the main priority was the person behind the Chimera attack? He sighed, shivering despite the heat. He really didn't want to think of what would happen if the Cyniclons found out they had befriended a group humans, especially ones that were former enemies, the consequences would not be good...

'Taru-Taru, no da?' The young boy jumped and nearly fell off his bed at the sudden sound of the voice.

'Gods, Pudding, you nearly gave me heart attack!' He snapped, trying to ignore his increased heart rate, which he would blame on the shock.

'Sorry, you just left and looked kinda worried, are you okay, na no da?' The monkey-Mew asked, sitting down on the edge of his bed and tilting her head to the side.

'Yeah, I'm fine!' He replied a little too quickly.

'Really, no da?'

'Yeah, i-it's just...' He sighed, standing up and walking to his open window. He heard Pudding move behind him, but didn't look round, he was too busy trying to find something, anything, that would explain why he was so nervous.

'Just what?'

'Just...' he sighed again, closing his eyes for a few seconds before turning to look her dead in the eyes;

'Do you ever get the feeling you're being watched?'

* * *

><p><em>They'll never see...<em>

_I'll never be..._

_I struggle on and on to feed this hunger,_

_Burning deep inside of me..._

_~Lies, Evanescence._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Ahh, it's finally done! Again, sorry for taking so long. So, do you think the Ikisatashis are the ones behind the Chimera or not? And what _will _happen if the government find them?

Please drop a review, but constructive criticism only, please!


End file.
